Outlet-box device



Aug. 6, 1929. E. H. LEwls OUTLET BOX DEVICE Filed Feb. 17, 1928lIIllIIIIlIIIIl-Ill ITM/e TtOr: A Edward H. Lewis, bkJfaf/QL/Zk HisAttorheg.'

PATENT oF FICE.

EDWARD H. LEWIS'l or nmnoltroa'r, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoa T0 GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

Q UTLET-BOX DEVICE.-

Application med February 17, 192s. smal No. 255,172.

Metal outlet boxes as now constructed aregenerall fastened directly tothe framework Aof a bui ding or are mounted on a metal bar which in turnis fastened to the framework. Associated with such boxes are means forattaching them .to the suppprting bars; studs by which the fixtures masupported by the boxes, and hickeys to acilitate the wiring operation.

My invention has for its object to provide va cheap, simple andrelatively light device which canbe used as a combined fixture stud andhickey or as a combined bar-clam fixture stud and hickey. More speciicaly my invention has for its object to provide a device suitable for theabove-named purposes which can be cheaply cast and which requires theminimum amount of machinel work.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention,attention is directed to ,the accompan 'ng description and the claimsappended t ereto.

In the drawing which is illustrative of my invention Fig. 1 is a view in'elevation of one form m mvention, the outletboxbeing in section 5 i 2is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 1s a ottom plan view of the same;Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of my 1mproved device arranged to form abar-clamp, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in plan of my saiddevice.

6 indicates an outlet box of any suitable construction and one which maybe nailed or otherwise secured to the framework of a building, eitherthe ceiling or side wall. 7 indicates the usual knock-outs. In thecenter is an opening 8 through which the body of the stud 9 extends, itsenlarged head 10 resting on the tolp surface of the box and beingsupported t ereby. The stud is held by any suitable means of which thenut 11 is an example. The stud which is suitably screwthreaded acts as asupport foi` the fixture tube 12 leading from or associated with someform of electric device such as a lamp for example. The body of the studis made hollow, at least for the major ortion of its length therebyforming a tubeike member in which the conductors 13 extending rfrom thesuppl wires to the current-consumin device are ocated.

In Fig. 4 the enlar et? head of the stud is slotted t`o receive thear-support 14, the latter being suitably fastened to the framework ofthe building. The stud is held in adjusted position on the bar by thescrew 15 and lperforms the the angular position of the box on the studonce it is adjusted is retained by the nut 11.

The construction of the stud and the method of making the same will nowbe described in det-ail. Important features of a stud of the characterdescribed are that it shall be cheap to make, relatively light in weightso as to' save metal, require very little machine work and afford amplespace for the fixture wires. To decrease wei ht and save metal the bodyof the stud is ma e hollow and one portion or side thereof is gouged outor cut away longitudinally from the head through the lower end asindicated at 16, the upper end of the' slot thus formed is or may be slihtl enlarged so as to freely receive and a or ample space for the wires13. The stud thus function of the ordinary ickey. 4In order to make thestud cheaply and also afford an easy entrance for the conductors it isso shaped that it can be cast in a green sand mold and this without theuse of anyV core whatesoever. This means that the walls defining theslot or opening 16 in the body must be separated by a space not lessthan the diameter of the bore of the body, and preferably the wallsdiverge outwardly by a slight amount from the bore to the perlphery soas to facilitate drawing of the pattern from the sand. This is shown onan enlarged scale in Fig. 5 wherein the broken and dotted line 17represents the diam'eter of the bore- -and the similar line 18 theportion of greatest divergence. It will be noted that the walls definingthe slot 16are tan ential to the wall of the bore within the bo y andthat the bore represents the most rericted area.

The exterior of the body is threaded to receive the nut 8 and also thefixture tube or support 12. The cutawa or slotted portion of the studextends su ciently above the tube 12 to afford ample space for the wires13. The slot terminates at the lower end of the stud which means thatthe wires 13 can be inserted into it by a simple sidewise movement asdistinguished from a more diflcult divergence as the walls of the boreor opening 16 to facilitate withdrawal of the pattern` from the sandmold. This is clearly shown in Fig. where the stud `is shown on asubstantially enlarged scale and where the divergence of the side wallsof the slots is exag erated for the purpose of illustration.

fter the casting is made it is necessary to cut the screw thread althouh if the thread be of coarse pitch it is quite easible for some classesof products to form the threads in the castin operation. When intendedfor use with t e bar 14 the stud has to be tapped and 'threaded toreceive lthe clamping screw 15.

By using the cut-away portion there -is less metal to drill and tap thanif the stud weresolid thereby saving in manufacturing ex pense andpermitting the use of shorter screws. Decreasing the number of machineoperations means less handlin of the studs.

Decreasing the weight not o y results in a decrease in the amount andcost of metal used but also in the freight charge for these studs areshipped in large quantities.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by v Letters Patent of theUnited States, is,'

1. A device of the character described comprising a stud having anenlarged head and a smaller bod formed integral therewith, said bodyhaving a central bore, an external screw thread, and a longitudinal slotwhich opens into the bore 'to permit the introduction o clrcuit wiresintothe bore, the walls deining said slot being tangential to the saidbore and divergilg from the bore to the periphery of the 2. A device ofthe character described comprising a stud having an enlarged head inwhich is formed a transverse bar-receiving slot and a tubular bodyformed integral with the head, said body being externally screwthreadedand having a lon itudinally-extendfrom one end toward the other, and ahollow body portion integral with the head which has one side cut awayto form a slot, the walls of which diverge in the same direction asthose of the bar-receiving slot,- said body being externallyscrew-threaded to receive an outlet box clamping nut, and a screw whichis located in the end of the body adjacent the head and which projectsinto the slot in the head te fasten the stud on the bar,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day'ofFebruary, 1928.

EDWARD H. LEWIS.

